Directions for hazardous waste storage and final disposal of treated hazardous waste (THW) in Austria

Austria produces about 700,000 tons of hazardous waste a year. Approximately 8% are sent to the incinerating facility EBS near Vienna. Approximately 60% THW (treated hazardous wastes) are finally disposed of. An unknown amount is sent to foreign countries for storage and landfilling.

By order of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Public Health our institute elaborates guidelines for designing and operating final disposal hazardous waste facilities.

This paper deals with the fundamental aspects and the present state of these guidelines.     

Response of a Fuzzy INdex of Ecosystem integrity (FINE) to water and sedimentary chemical data in two northern Adriatic lagoons

The European WFD (2000/60/EC) requires the assessment of the ecological quality status of water bodies, and gives great importance to the biological components of the ecosystem. A multimetric, fuzzy-based index for the evaluation of environmental quality (FINE: Fuzzy INdex of Ecosystem integrity) has been developed. The FINE index was calculated at 7 sites in the Sacca di Goro and the Valli di Comacchio (Adriatic Sea), where water and sedimentary chemical data were available for the years 2004 and 2005. A significant positive correlation was found between FINE values and dissolved oxygen, while significant negative correlations were observed between FINE values and transparency, nitrogen and phosphorous in the water column, and heavy metals and PCB in the sediments.     

Relationships of the dimensions of sustainability as measured by the sustainable society index framework

This article presents a study of the interrelationships between the different dimensions of sustainability as measured by the sustainable society index framework. We examine the statistical relationships between the four indices making up the sustainable society index framework. The analysis uses the complete existing data set provided by Sustainable Society Foundation for the years 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 and for 151 countries. While the time period where data are available is quite short, we can make some preliminary observations about the apparent trends in the interrelationships of the different dimensions of sustainability. This study shows that the three dimensions of sustainability are far from all being synergic and positively correlated. There is a strong negative correlation between human well-being and environmental well-being. This is problematic from the point of view of the Brundtland Commission’s three-pillar definition of sustainability. However, the trade-off relationship between economic and environmental development measured by the economic well-being index and environmental well-being index is decreasing and the dimensions are becoming more de-linked. This trend is promising from the sustainability perspective.     

Trace metals in fish of economic interest from the west of Alexandria,Egypt

The concentration of some heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the muscle, liver, and gills in eight fish species, Caranx crysos, Euthynnus alleferatus, Scomberomorus commerson, Sphyraena viridensis, Sargus sargus, Siganus rivulatus, Mugil species, and Sardinella aurita were collected seasonally from the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Alexandria. The highest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, and Zn were measured in liver tissue, while gill tissue yielded the highest concentrations of Mn, Ni, and Pb. Muscle is the organ of poor accumulation factor for all metals under investigation. Concentration of cadmium in muscle in Mugil species exceeds the permissible limit in summer, while Siganus rivulatus exceeds it in the summer and autumn seasons. On the other hand, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc are still much lower than the permissible levels. The metal pollution index (MPI) for metals was studied, revealing that Siganus rivulatus, Mugil species and Sardinella aurita had the highest MPI. Provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) indicates that the concentration levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the muscle of all fish species under investigation are much lower than recommended PTDI values, and accordingly there is no risk for the human consumption of these fish species.     

保护性耕作土壤线虫成熟度及区系分析

土壤线虫的生活史和功能多样性能够反映土壤健康质量和生态环境的演变,耕作措施的改变可能通过影响土壤环境进而影响土壤线虫的生活史和功能多样性,然而关于保护性耕作条件下土壤线虫成熟度及区系分析的研究,国内外尚鲜见报道。为了深入揭示土壤线虫对保护性耕作土壤生态环境变化的生物指示作用,以辽宁彰武县保护性耕作示范推广基地土壤为研究对象,通过实地调查和取样分析,对比研究了传统犁耕和6年保护性耕作（免耕秸秆覆盖）条件下的土壤线虫成熟度指数及区系分析。研究发现,与犁耕相比,保护性耕作显著降低了表层土壤自由生活线虫成熟指数MI、总成熟指数MMI、c-p值为2~5的自由生活线虫成熟指数MI2–5和总成熟指数MMI2–5,降低幅度分别为11%、9%、9%和10%,然而对植物寄生线虫成熟指数PPI以及PPI/MI比值的影响不明显。线虫区系分析结果表明,保护性耕作土壤线虫的富集指数EI和结构指数SI,比犁耕土壤分别显著降低56%和24%。保护性耕作造成的土壤pH降低和可能带来的土壤农药污染,可能是导致其上述影响的主要原因。简单相关分析和主成分分析结果证明,线虫成熟指数MI、MMI、MI2–5和MMI2–5以及结构指数SI与土壤pH关系密切。综上,土壤线虫生活史多样性和功能多样性对于揭示保护性耕作对土壤环境的影响具有良好的作用。     

工业绿色发展评价指标体系及应用于广东省区域评价的分析

工业的快速发展,给资源环境带来了前所未有的压力,于是人们纷纷探讨绿色发展之路.工业绿色发展评价指标体系的研究旨在发现工业绿色转型升级中的薄弱环节,设计评估工业的绿色发展状况的指标,引导工业绿色转型升级,从而实现工业发展与资源环境的和谐统一.文章借鉴脱钩理论的核心理念,分析资源环境的特征指标,利用工业资源消耗或污染物排放变化对工业产值的弹性脱钩值作为考察工业绿色转型升级的动态指标,建立包括工业资源环境压力、工业资源环境弹性脱钩和工业发展绿化度3个方面的工业绿色发展评价指标体系,并应用于广东省21个地级以上城市的评价分析.研究表明,该指标体系对于评价工业绿色发展具有实际可操作性,结果合理、可靠.对广东各地的实证评价分析显示,广东省工业总体绿色发展水平不断提升,在高压力水平下,逐步向资源节约型、环境友好型的新型工业化道路转型.但由于各地工业发展水平不同、资源环境约束目标不同,工业绿色发展的进程也存在较大区域差异.资源环境约束严格的珠三角核心区工业绿色发展情况相对其他地区较好,属高绿化度高资源环境压力的绿色发展模式.资源环境约束较严格的粤北山区工业转型升级也有明显进展.而在资源环境约束管理不大的珠三角非核心区与粤西地区中,江门和湛江工业绿色发展相对较好,肇庆和茂名一般,惠州和阳江工业呈粗放发展,粤东地区除汕头外,工业粗放发展趋势明显.因此,各地应制定针对性措施,促进工业结构调整,限制高消耗、重污染型行业发展,加大工业污染防治力度,推进高消耗、重污染型行业的生态化转型,推动工业绿色转型升级加快.     

中国沿海区域旅游化与生态环境耦合度分析及预测

中国沿海区域旅游产业发展主要以海洋资源和环境为依托,故处理好旅游产业发展与生态环境的关系是中国沿海旅游产业实现可持续发展的基础和前提。区域旅游化程度可以反映区域旅游产业发展水平,为探求中国沿海区域旅游产业发展与生态环境之间关系的态势和规律,首先,在构建中国沿海区域旅游化程度和生态环境质量水平的指标体系的基础上,以2000—2010年沿海11省(区)统计数据为基础,运用加权主成分TOPSIS法分别对两个系统进行综合评价;其次,基于物理学中的耦合模型,对中国沿海区域旅游化程度和生态环境质量的耦合度及其协调指数进行计算,并分析它们时空格局及其演变特征;最后,基于灰色系统理论,运用GM(1,1)预测模型对中国沿海区域未来15 a中国沿海区域旅游化水平与生态环境耦合度进行预测。研究结果发现:中国沿海区域旅游产业与生态环境两个系统在2000—2010年间一直处于拮抗期,但山东省、浙江省、江苏省和广西省将在2015年前先后由低水平的拮抗期跨入良性耦合阶段,而其他省(区)将处于并将长期处于拮抗期,且天津市、辽宁省和海南省两个系统的耦合度有下降趋势。     

The Water Poverty Index: An application in the Indian context

For developing countries, the proportion of households covered by improved water resources is conventionally used to assess the water stress situation. However, in a developing country like India with a high population growth rate, water demand and supply are considerably mismatched. An agro-based economy with large variations in socio-economic conditions and changing rainfall patterns across the states imposes greater challenge on water resources. Therefore, there is a need to assess the water situation across the country in a holistic manner. This paper proposes application of the Water Poverty Index as a comprehensive policy tool to assess actual water-stress situation across 20 major states in India. This index covers important socio-economic parameters such as access, capacity, use and environment in addition to water resources of each state. The results and findings are expected to be of use to policymakers and implementing agencies. In view of policy formulation, a state performing well on a Water Poverty Index component can act as a benchmark for another state.     

Mitigating the Davos dilemma: towards a global self-sustainability index

The ‘Davos dilemma’ posits a sustainability crisis, provoked by rising human population and intense competitive behaviours, in terms of control and access to depleting natural resources. More broadly understood as an ecological problem, rather than just socio-economic behavioural deficiencies, the call is for better integrated social, natural and business-indexed reporting within planetary boundaries. This poses challenges for nationally governed societies to equitably account for self-sustainability performance, in enabling their successive government agendas to re-orientate policies and industry investments as innovation towards achieving this in the longer term. We propose and test a global self-sustainability index for countries across four metrics: economic, environmental, social and innovation. Our tentative findings from a cross-country analysis of 27 countries during 2007–2010 illustrate the approach for wider systematic analysis and as a basis for future large-scale assessments on self-sustainability within and between countries.     

The potential implementation of green infrastructure assessment using high-resolution National Agriculture Imagery Program data for sustainable hazard mitigation

As green infrastructure gets its attention in hazard mitigation, it is necessary to improve general understanding on what makes green infrastructure important for hazard and resiliency research. To better understand how green infrastructure fits with more traditional notions of structural and nonstructural mitigation, this study examines the relationship between green infrastructure and ‘structural and nonstructural’ mitigation approaches for hazard mitigation. Also, this study discusses a new measurement of locational aspects and spatial patterns of green infrastructure by utilizing high-resolution data in urban areas, and its potential implementation in hazard mitigation. Compared to previous research using land-use land-cover datasets, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) utilizing National Agriculture Imagery Program dataset provides an ability to capture green infrastructure in greater detail. A visual comparison suggests that the NDVI data are able to capture and identify more types of ‘green’ land uses in Harris County. The total green infrastructure percentages for Harris County, Texas, based on 1-m high resolution were found to be 61.5% of the area, compared to the 51.5% based on the National Land Cover Database. This study provides support for utilizing high-resolution data to establish guidelines for green infrastructure’s spatial characteristics and sustainable hazard mitigation. The outcomes of this study will be helpful in the strategic planning and implementation of green infrastructure in urban areas with hazard issues.